Rock Climber Fights For Life After Taylors Falls Plummet

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A man was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries Monday after falling while rock climbing.

The Chisago County Sheriff's Office said the man was climbing at Interstate State Park in Taylors Falls.

At about 4:15 p.m., emergency crews were summoned after a witness on the Wisconsin side of the park saw the climber fall from a rock ledge and land at the edge of the St. Croix River.

The 23-year-old man was found by first responders -- among them were the Taylors Falls Fire Department, Lakes Region EMS, and Life Link III, along with sheriff's deputies.

They said that the man was going in and out of consciousness, and showed signs of severe trauma to his head, which was also bleeding. He was later identified as Nicholas G. Walberg, who had a driver's license from Ottawa, Illinois but who was driving a vehicle registered to him with Minnesota license plates.

Authorities said they were unable to determine where he fell from, but he landed in an area with heavy rocks and water.

Walberg was taken to St. Croix Regional Medical Center, where he was stabilized, and then transferred to a Twin Cities area trauma center.

The Chisago County Sheriff's Office said his injuries were still being considered life-threatening.